Maine governor candidate: Mary Mayhew, Republican

Friday

Apr 13, 2018 at 9:31 AMApr 13, 2018 at 9:32 AM

Age: 53

Hometown: China, Maine.

Family: Two sons, Cameron and Chance.

Occupation: Prior to working in LePage administration, served for 11 years as vice president of the Maine Hospital Association and was previously a partner in the public affairs firm of Hawkes & Mayhew, based in Augusta, and also served as a manager of state government relations for Equifax Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia.

Political experience: Served as commissioner of Health and Human Services in Gov. Paul LePage's administration.

York state representative Patricia Hymanson has introduced legislation (LD 105) to create a cabinet-level working group to combat the state’s opiate crisis. For this to be successful, the governor would have to be an active participant. Is this something you would support? What concrete steps would you take to solve this crisis?

A working group will not solve the opioid crisis. Here are some things we can do right now without a working group:

1. Medication solutions. As commissioner, I partnered with the Penobscot County Sheriff to begin treatment inside the jails and to support those in recovery following their release.

4. Work. Through national research, we know that employment is a key to recovery. It is proven to improve self-esteem, self-confidence and to restore human dignity.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Service, Maine ranks in the top 5 states in the nation for home heating oil use. What is your plan to reduce dependency on oil, and what role, if any, will renewable energy play in Maine’s energy future under your administration?

I’m concerned that this paper views oil as a bad thing. It is American produced, provides thousands of American jobs — is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Over the last 20 years, Maine’s efforts to reduce our reliance on oil has led to skyrocketing energy costs that have forced Maine businesses to leave and other businesses to stay away. Government cannot be picking winners and losers in the energy market. I do not support state policy that leaves Maine rate payers and businesses footing the bill for money-losing energy options. I will support everything and anything that provides the lowest cost energy options for hardworking Mainers.

Currently, Maine laws do not require a permit to carry a firearm and do allow open carry, and there is no assault weapon prohibition or background check law. Does this set of circumstances comport with your views? Would you as governor work to keep the status quo? Do you think there should be changes to existing laws? If so, what?

Maine has one of the highest rates of gun ownership and continues to be one of the safest places to live in America. I like that. I support the Second Amendment and oppose any effort to undermine that constitutional right.

The implementation of the recreational marijuana law may well take place during the tenure of the next Maine governor. What are your thoughts about recreational marijuana in general? What sort of regulations and other stipulations do you want to see in framework eventually presented by the Legislative committee working on this?

I remain adamantly opposed to the legalization of marijuana. It is irrational to be fighting the battle against the opioid crisis and turn around and legalize another drug. When I was commissioner of DHHS, I routinely received the reports from hospital emergency departments of a toddler eating the gummy bears or the cookies, or the brownies laced with highly potent marijuana. We have significant societal problems especially with the fabric of families torn apart because of substance abuse. I will work to repeal the law and failing that I will advocate for comprehensive and strict regulations.

Last November, voters by a margin of 59 to 41 percent passed a citizens’ initiative requiring the state to implement Medicaid expansion, after several years of failed attempts to pass it legislatively. What are your views about this issue? Do you favor expansion? If so, why? If not, why not.

I led the effort to bail out the financial crisis in Maine DHHS as a result of the previous Medicaid expansion that bankrupted the state finances and resulted in nursing homes and homecare agency closures. This prior expansion left our elderly and disabled on waitlists for home and residential services — the expansion model is not sustainable. We now have over $200 million in our Rainy Day fund and have been focused on reducing Maine’s personal income tax so Mainers can keep more of their paycheck in their pocket. What most families want is a good paying job not governmental dependency.

Coastal and Seacoast York County is an area of the state that depends on tourist dollars and supports small businesses. At the same time, it is an area that has invested taxpayer funds and private donations to leverage purchases of conservation land through land trusts and similar organizations. As development pressure mounts in this part of Maine due to a thriving economy, what would you do as governor to ensure the health of our small business economy while at the same time being mindful of the health of the environment?

Maine's tourism industry and our beautiful environment are both important to Maine’s economic future. But if businesses in Maine cannot compete with companies elsewhere in the country because of overzealous environmental regulations, Maine’s economy cannot be sustained on tourism alone. There must be effective environmental stewardship that also respects and appreciates the importance of private businesses. With regard to land trusts, I’m in favor of conservation, but concerned about the amount of property that has been removed from the tax rolls each year. The increase in this tax exempt property places a greater property tax burden on Maine families and senior citizens on fixed incomes.

See more candidate profiles at seacoastonline.com/mainegov2018.

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